California Declares Emergency Over Potential Record El Niño

On Sept. 21, 2026, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency for a potentially historic El Niño, directing agencies to stage sandbags and pumps, prepare road closures, and expand multilingual alerts. Forecasters give a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event this fall and winter and a 75% chance of historic strength; NOAA measured east-central equatorial Pacific waters 2.1 degrees Celsius above normal last week. The state is staging 4.4 million sandbags and 400,000 tons of rocks after Marie-driven waves eroded beaches from Carlsbad to Long Beach, damaged oceanfront homes and the Long Beach boardwalk; local emergencies already cover Santa Barbara and other counties. Newsom said, "California is strongest when we look out for one another. That is what this action is about. Giving communities the support they need, giving first responders the tools to do their jobs, and giving families the confidence that their state is ready." Wade Crowfoot said officials are mobilizing to safeguard people, infrastructure and natural resources before the worst storms arrive. CONTESTED: Officials cite the 90% and 75% strength figures; Laura Hollender said coastal and Southern areas face higher likelihood but the forecast does not guarantee where and when a specific storm may hit.